Tuesday, September 11, 2007

The big HR problem at ISRO

A massive 52.82 per cent of the scientists recruited during 2006 have left the Indian Space Research Organisation for the private sector due to better remunerative packages being offered by them. ... [In] 2006, 187 out of 354 scientists/engineers recruited left ISRO ...

... [A] host of steps were being taken to encourage and motivate students in schools and colleges to join space studies and space research like providing opportunity for visits to ISRO centres, organisation of open house discussions and exhibitions every year.

The department of space has submitted a proposal to the VIth pay commission for enhanced pay and special incentives as performance based annual increments. [...]

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Comments:

Anonymous
said...

This problem is acute always when the pay commission is due. The center wants tp control the complete pay of every single central govt employee. If the organizations are given freedom to decide on at least one component of the pay, it could help handle this transition between pay commissions.

ISRO didn't do much staggered hiring before - during the 20-year period starting mid-seventies the intake was close to zero. So currently they have thousands of people retiring and nobody to take their places. Knowledge transfer issues abound. Also, people who are almost two generations up managing these Gen-X 21-year olds creates enough friction. So I am not really sure the pay commission can address any of these issues as it seems to me as if monetary incentives are not what attract these people in the first place. Anyway. ISRO has this induction program called IITP which is supposedly a lot of fun, and apparently its common to go through this program, work for a couple of months and then quit!

iist, trivendrum was started to get people into aerospace and avionics. the entry is through jee. but students have to sign a 5 year bond to work in isro after their under grad. that would put many off. had that bond not been there, i am sure more people would join the institute and work for isro eventually.

I feel it is less to do with remuneration. I strongly agree with veena's comments. It is a definite failure in the planning of HR department. People who join ISRO, they join with lot of hopes on the organisation. Once they strat to realise the inside cluture of the system many will look for other options. If it is for money then many could have joined the private sector in the first place.